Olympic heroes, No 27: Ann Packer

Published on 26/07/2012 00:00

Ann Packer MBE went from being a physical education teacher to winning gold in the 800 metres at the 1964 summer Games in Tokyo.

An accomplished sprinter, hurdler and long jumper, the Reading Athletic Club member had been part of the 4x100m relay team that won a silver medal in the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia and a bronze medal in the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade.

After winning the gold medal, in Japan, she announced her retirement at the age of just 22. It would be another 40 years before another British woman, Kelly Holmes, would win the 800m, which she famously followed up with the 1,500m in Athens. In Tokyo, Robbie Brightwell won a silver medal in the 4x400m relay. They later married and had three sons, Gary, a 400m runner like his mother, and Ian and David, the latter two becoming footballers with Manchester City.